Senior travel figures meet with Penny Wong, Don Farrell ahead of the budget

In the lead-up to the budget next week AFTA and its members engaged with the minister for foreign affairs Penny Wong and the minister for trade and tourism Don Farrell in separate events hosted in Melbourne and Sydney.

A delegation of travel agents, tour operators, travel businesses and suppliers met with Wong to discuss the key challenges and opportunities ahead for the sector.

AFTA organised the in-depth briefing in Sydney hosted by Sabre with a range of attendees including:

• David Greenland, CT Partners chair and AFTA director
• Greg McCarthy, Corporate Travel Management Australia & New Zealand CEO
• Simon Roll, Sabre incoming country manager
• David Hosking, The Travel Corporation Australia CEO
• Tom Beadle, Intrepid COO
• Ram Chhabra, CVFR Travel Group CEO
• David Goldman, Goldman Travel joint managing director
• Penny Spencer, Spencer Travel managing director
• Justin Kestel, Qatar Airways regional manager ANZ
• Jane McKeon, Cover-More head of government
• Ben Angell, CLIA chair
• Yohan Silva, Helloworld Circular Quay owner
• Lara Behrens, Bench Africa director of marketing
• Louis Arul, Singapore Airlines regional vice president for South West Pacific
• Peter Hosper, ATPI commercial director
• James Hewlett, Collette head of marketing
• Chris Fundell, Globus Family of Brands head of marketing – Australasia

In Melbourne, Andy Buerckner of Platinum Travel Corporation met with minister Farrell to discuss the need for ongoing support in the skills space, an area which is the biggest handbrake on our sector’s overall recovery.

AFTA’s CEO Dean Long said the importance of advocating for ATAS travel agents, tour operators and wholesale businesses is incredible important as travel recovers post-pandemic.

“This work builds on the successful advocacy that delivered on adding travel consultants to the National Skills List for the first time in over 10 years,” Long said.

“Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong engaged in a wide-ranging discussion of the Government’s foreign policies and the role of travel in delivering these policies, as well as the role of agents, the industry’s promotion of sustainability, increased airline competition, the ethics of organising and selling tours to areas of the world with questionable human rights records, and the importance of travel insurance.

“In Melbourne, Andy Buerckner of Platinum Travel Corporation met with Minister Farrell to discuss the need for ongoing support in the skills space, an area which is the biggest handbrake on our sector’s overall recovery.”